Dental mouth mirror

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a dental mouth mirror with a rinsing device.

United States Patent [191 Rosander Nov. 26, 1974 [54] DENTAL MOUTHMIRROR 3,091,034 5/1963 Pisci telli 32/69 1 Invent Jan Rwandan Goteborg,Sweden 331213332 1713221 %ZLELZ.JI1IIII1111111111: 1:11: 23/23 73Assigneez h l m Inc New York7 N.Y 3,250,005 5/1966 White 32/69 X3,342,178 9/1967 Freedman 32/69 X [22] Filed: Oct. 17, 1972 3,553,8401/1971 Bordelon 32/22 21 A l. N 298 451 1 pp 0 Primary Examiner-Ant0ni0F, Guida Assistant Examiner-J. Q. Lever [1.5. Ci- Attorney Agent, orFirm-Friedman & Goodman [51] Int. Cl. A61c 19/02 [58] Field of Search32/22, 69 [57] ABSTRACT 5 References Cited The present invention relatesto a denta1 mouth mirror with a rinsing device.

7 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure DENTAL MOUTH MIRROR Drilling with the Turbodriven drills which are used nowadays is burdened with the inconveniencethat ground tooth particles are thrown against the mouth mirror thusrapidly obscuring the face of the mirror.

This inconvenience can be remedied either by dipping the mirror in arinsing liquid, usually water with an addition of a surface tensionreducing liquid or by spraying the mirror with such a liquid.

The first method, i.e., rinsing the mirror means a disruption in theoperation of the dentist with the subsequent disadvantages. The othermethod is therefore to be preferred as this does not involve adisruption in the work of the dentist. Known mouth mirrors with rinsingdevice are however burdened with certain drawbacks. The handle of themirror should be as thin as possible in order to obtain the optimumoperation properties. A valve for the rinsing liquid arranged in or onthe handle is too cumbersome. Therefore attempts have been made to use afoot operated valve. However, this method has proved to be inconvenientsince the dentist already has a lot of other foot operated equipmentsand every extra piece of equipment would make the work of the dentistmore difficult.

Certain demands and requirements can be specified for a dental mouthmirror equipped with rinsing device. It should be provided with aregulator situated in or on the handle. The handle should have the samethickness as conventional mirrors without rinsing device. The rinsingshould take place with a predetermined amount of rinsing liquid ina-short and intensive spray.

Only a dental mouth mirror according to the invention fulfills all therequirements stipulated above. It is designed in the following way. Itconsists of an air pressure operating dosing pump which embraces an airpressure side and a rinsing liquid side which are arranged such that anincrease in pressure causes a flow of a predetermined amount of rinsingliquid through a canal in the handle by means of operating a regulator.

For the purpose of further explaining the invention a descriptionfollows of a representative form in connection with the attacheddrawing, FIG. 1 of which schematically shows a form of the invention.

In FIG. 1 the handle of a mouth mirror is noted 1. The handle 1 whichcarries a mirror 2 is provided with a canal 3 which terminates in anozzle 4 which is directed so that the rinsing liquid which is pressedthrough the canal impinges on the mirror such that foreign matter isremoved from the same. The main part of the rinsing device is a membranepump 5 which comprises two halves 6 and 7 between which is stretched amembrane 8 of rubber. On both sides of the membrane are chambers 9 and10 formed in the respective halves 6 and 7. A compressed air canal 11 isconnected to chamber 9. The flow area of this canal 11 can be reduced bymeans of a needle valve 12. From the chamber 9 a canal 13 is connectedto the handle 1 which is closed, apart from a minute aperture 16. Fromchamber 10 a canal 17is connected to the rinsing liquid container 18 andalso to canal 3 provided in the handle of the mouth mirror.

The device functions in the following manner. When the aperture 16 isopen a stream of air, regulated by means of the valve 12 flows throughchamber 9. When the aperture is closed by pressing a finger over it aninstantaneous pressure increase occurs in chamber 9.

The membrane 8 is deflected towards chamber 10 thus pressing the rinsingliquid present in chamber 10 through canal 17 past a ball valve 19 andon through canal 3 and the nozzle 4 against the mirror. When theaperture 16 is opened again the membrane returns to its originalposition due to its inherent tension. Rinsing liquid is then sucked fromthe container 18 past the ball valve 20 into chamber 10. By closing theaperture again the procedure is repeated.

1 claim;

1. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device saidmirror comprising a mirror member connected to a handle member, saidmirror member including a mirror surface,

said rinsing device comprising a nozzle provided on said handle member,said nozzle being directed toward said mirror surface, first canal meansconnected to said nozzle for transporting rinsing liquid to said nozzle,actuating means disposed on said handle member for effecting a flow of apredetermined amount of said rinsing liquid through said nozzle and ontosaid mirror surface to remove foreign matter from said mirror surface,pump means provided with a membrane member to define a first chamber onone side of said membrane member and a second chamber on an oppositeside of said membrane member, compressed air means connected to oneopening in said first chamber, second canal means connecting saidactuating means to another opening in said first chamber so that astream of air flows through said first chamber when said actuating meansis open, said first canal means being connected to an opening in saidsecond chamber, and a supply of said rinsing liquid communicating withsaid second chamber,

whereby closing said actuating means causes an instantaneous airpressure increase in said first chamber thereby deflecting said membranemember into said second chamber to force said predetermined amount ofsaid rinsing liquid present in said second chamber out through saidfirst canal means and through said nozzle onto said :mirror surface.

2. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device as claimedin claim 2, wherein said handle member is hollow, said second canalmeans extending into said hollow handle member, said actuating meanscomprising an aperture in said hollow handle member in communicationwith said second canal means.

- 3. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said compressed air means includes a valvemember to regulate the stream of air flowing through said first chamberwhen said actuating means is open.

4. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device as claimedin claim 1, wherein ball valve means is disposed in communicationbetween said sup- 5. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsingdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein ball valve means is associated incommunication with said first canal means to prevent said predeterminedamount of i said rinsing liquid from returning to said second chamber.

6. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device as claimedin claim 2, wherein said first ing device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid first canal means extends through said hollow handle memcanal meansextends through said handle member. ber.

7. A dental mouth mirror in combination witha rins-

1. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device saidmirror comprising a mirror member connected to a handle member, saidmirror member including a mirror surface, said rinsing device comprisinga nozzle provided on said handle member, said nozzle being directedtoward said mirror surface, first canal means connected to said nozzlefor transporting rinsing liquid to said nozzle, actuating means disposedon said handle member for effecting a flow of a predetermined amount ofsaid rinsing liquid through said nozzle and onto said mirror surface toremove foreign matter from said mirror surface, pump means provided witha membrane member to define a first chamber on one side of said membranemember and a second chamber on an opposite side of said membrane member,compressed air means connected to one opening in said first chamber,second canal means connecting said actuating means to another opening insaid first chamber so that a stream of air flows through said firstchamber when said actuating means is open, said first canal means beingconnected to an opening in said second chamber, and a supply of saidrinsing liquid communicating with said second chamber, whereby closingsaid actuating means causes an instantaneous air pressure increase insaid first chamber thereby deflecting said membrane member into saidsecond chamber to force said predetermined amount of said rinsing liquidpresent in said second chamber out through said first canal means andthrough said nozzle onto said mirror surface.
 2. A dental mouth mirrorin combination with a rinsing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein saidhandle member is hollow, said second canal means extending into saidhollow handle member, said actuating means comprising an aperture insaid hollow handle member in communication with said second canal means.3. A dental mouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device as claimedin claim 1, wherein said compressed air means includes a valve member toregulate the stream of air flowing through said first chamber when saidactuating means is open.
 4. A dental mouth mirror in combination with arinsing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein ball valve means isdisposed in communication between said supply of said rinsing liquid andsaid second chamber to prevent said predetermined amount of said rinsingliquid from returning to said supply of said rinsing liquid.
 5. A dentalmouth mirror in combination with a rinsing device as claimed in claim 1,wherein ball valve means is associated in communication with said firstcanal means to prevent said predetermined amount of said rinsing liquidfrom returning to said second chamber.
 6. A dental mouth mirror incombination with a rinsing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidfirst canal means extends through said handle member.
 7. A dental mouthmirror in combination with a rinsing device as claimed in claim 2,wherein said first canal means extends through said hollow handlemember.